Gaius's Change
by GaHoolianGirl100
Summary: Gaius is a thief, and Maribelle knows that...but even her love can only only go so far. Can Gaius really change, or is their family doomed? (A bit OOC, probably. Lame title too. A mention of Liba x Tharja, but it's not too important)
1. Rejection

**Gaius' ending with well...everyone, kinda pisses me off. And I love him with Maribelle. Thus this was born. **

Gaius winced as he was hauled back up to the door of his house, the two guards unceremoniously tossed him to his knees. His nervousness grew when the door cracked open, and a pair of little eyes showed themselves.

"Pa?" a small voice asked.

"Brady!" Gaius exclaimed, eyes widening and a shaky smile forming "Hey, buddy, I-"

"Brady, get away from the door this instant!"

"Yes, ma!" He called in response, throwing his father a sad and confused look as he shut the door. Gaius knew what was to follow, but...he still wasn't prepared.

The large door reopened, revealing a fuming Maribelle. Her boucy golden curls he loved to play with were in disarray, and her usually perfectly made up face was flushed with anger and sweat.

"Leave him."

"Your Honor-"

"I said leave him. Now."

The two men knew better than to argue with her, and left without a backwards glance. Gaius tried to get up, but she kicked him back down. He flopped on his rear with an "oomph", and clutched his chest where her boot hit.

"Twink-"

"Don't you 'Twinkles' me, Mister. How many times has it been!?"

He cast his eyes down. "Four, countin' now."

"Four!? Four times I, and your _son, _have been left here alone at ungodly hours, wondering where in Gods' names you have been, hoping, praying that you have not done something to get yourself beheaded!" She grit her teeth "How do you think that makes us feel, Gaius!?"

He cast his eyes down, his silence answering for him. He stole a glimpse at her eyes, bloodshot from rage and tears.

"I married you-against my father's wishes mind you!-because I thought you loved me! Because I thought," her voice caught with a sob, tears welling in her pretty eyes "that maybe you cared enough for me to change! That you had a conscience, a heart, a _soul!"_

She became suddenly cold, her eyes hardening and the tears ceasing."I supposs I was wrong, then."

"Huh?"

"Since you so apparently do not care at all for us, I feels as if there is no need for you to stay here," she said. She slowly began to remove her gloves.

"Twi...Maribelle, what-"

He got up, only to feel a sharp sting hit his cheek and fall back again. He held a hand to the cheek which was just slapped by her ungloved hand. She glared at him with unabashed contempt.

"You saved me an my father both once, for that I am grateful," she said, not looking him in the eyes "but you are not to step foot in this household until I can be sure that you will cease your illegal activities, behave, and become a reasonable man...a man whom ou-" she stopped "-my son can look up to."

"Mari-"

"Good day Gaius."

With that, the large oaken door slammed shut.

Gaius blinked, sitting out on his own stoop, cheek red, eyes watering, heart shattered.

**TO BE CONTINUED...this doesn't have to be multi-chaptered, but I kinda wanted to format it this way.**


	2. Remorse

**I really love the father dynamics in the game, so I figured the next part should be about little Brady...(also, Brady calls his dad a few diffrent things, so I decided on Pa)**

Brady had no idea why he couldn't see Pa...did he do something bad again? Brady swung his legs off the side of his bed, thinking about his father. Sure he always seemed to be home at weird times...and had stuff that wasn't his...but he still loved him! Didn't Ma?

As he thought, he heard his window open. He turned and saw his father climb in. "Pa! What-"

"Shhhhh!" His father held up one finger to his mouth with a smile. But this smile was different than usual...it was shaky, and Pa's eyes were red. But Brady still smiled in return. "Okay."

"Good boy," Pa said in a quiet voice, ruffling his hair

"Why was Ma cryin'?"

"Crying?" That seemed to make Pa tear up too.

"Big fat tears!"

"I-I see..." Pa covered his mouth "W-Well..."

"What happened...P-Pa? What's 'a goin' on?"

"Sport...Pa has to go for awhile, alright?"

"W-Why!?"

"He...he just does, alright? There there Sport..." Pa grabbed Brady and squeezed him tightly. "I'll come back, 'ya hear?"

"O-Okay..."

Pa kissed his forehead.

"Brady! Come down here!" a voice from downstairs called.

"Pa, Ma is..."

"I hear. Be a good boy for Ma, alright?"

"A-Alright..."

"I'll be back, cross my heart."

"Brady!"

"Comin' Ma!"

When Brady turned back, his father was gone.

**I realize Gaius is a might OOC here...I'm trying, but I'm not to familiar with him. Let me know if I'm doing a good job.**


	3. Retribution

**So this chapter is essentially Gaius going through the process of proving himself.**

"Libra, who in the hells is knocking on the door at this late hour?" Tharja muttered against Libra's back.

"I fear I do not know, but..."

"I know, I know we don't turn anyone away. Just be quick and get back to bed."

Libra laughed. "As you wish."

Libra put on some pants and a robe, walking to the door. He opened it. "Welcom, trave...Gaius?"

Libra could tell from the dark rings under his eyes, and ragged breathing that he had not slept.

"What in Naga's name has happened!?"

"Can I come in?"

"Of course..."

Libra let him in, looking over his wary friend. "Pray, let me know what has happened to you."

"Maribelle...well, essentially kicked me out. I need to prove that I'll clean up my act, once and for all."

"And you have come here?"

Gaius sat down "To confess."

"You seek confession?"

"Knowing my record, not many places want me around, so I figured here was a good start."

"Well, who am I to deny one who seeks to absolve themselves? Follow me..."

"Libra?"

Libra sighed, and turned to face his wife, whose face was a mixture of sleepiness and irritation. "How long to you plan to take?"

"But a moment, dear..."

"It better," she said, sauntering (or wobbling, it could be either) over and she whispering something in his ear. Libra's eyes widened.

"You realize I am a priest?" Gaius heard him mutter.

"Yes, but you are also a _man."_

Gaius coughed akwardly, well aware that he shouldn't have seen that, and it made his heart ache with longing for his own wife.

Libra caught the hint, and ushered her to bed. "Follow me, friend."

Gaius followed, ready to empty out his heart.

(-)

"Here it is. Every penny I stole," Gaius said to wealthy elderly man.

He repeated this process dozens of times, until he had repayed everyone he had stolen from in recent memory. He had to work to earn it all, but he had cleaned his slate.

(-)

One last stop, he promised himself, and the he would go home. He missed them...Brady...Maribelle...oh how he wished he could just hold her now, kiss her lips that reminded him of honey, run his hand through her sweet smelling hair...

He stopped himself. In his half a year of solitude, he must have become a poet.

When he arrived at the mansion in Themis, he took his deepest breath yet.

"Uhm...yeah, hello. I'm...uhm looking for the master of the house..."

"I shall let him know. Name, sir?"

"Uh...Gaius."

The footman's eyes widened. "_The_ Gaius, sir? The husband of Lady Maribelle?"

"Yup."

The footman shook his head. "The master will not want to see you."

"Just...please. Please."

The man thought for a moment, before sighing. "Very well. Do come in."

Gaius nodded thankfully, and followed him. He sat down on one of the plush chairs. The last time he was here...he was screamed at, and Maribelle was scolded, loudly. How different he must look. His cloak and hidden candies (how hard it was to part with those) gone, he now wore clothes "more befitting one of his station" as Maribelle would say (hw would even take her nagging at this point).

"The master will see you now, sir."

"Uh...yeah, right."

Gaius got up and dusted off his his legs. "Coming."

He followed the butler to a large, ornate room. It was furnished with books, statues, artifacts...a room worthy of a noble of his standing. Smack in the middle was a desk, with a man in front. His hair was blonder than Maribelle's with signs of grey, and his eyes were the same shade of pink. "Sit down."

"Yes, sir," he replied in his most professional voice, sitting down.

"Am I to understand that you have left my daughter, and my heir alone for these past six months?"

"Not of my own doing, sir. I was, uh, kicked out."

"By my daughter? For what reason did she give?"

"I'm suppose to...fly right...erm, that is, starting behaving properly."

He gave him a once over.

"I've done my very best to become someone worthy of her, sir. If you said somethin', uh, something to her, that would be most appreciated."

"Ah. That is too bad..."

Gaiu looked down, gripped the sides of his chair. He took a deep breath.

"Look, Blondie," said "Blondie" raised an eyebrow at that "I love your daughter. With all my heart. Really. I think she's sweeter than sugar, and that's sayin' something for me. She's changed me. I'm an honest man, now for her. All I want is to go back, see my son, and my wife, to make her happy. But I can't do that unless you say somethin'. She wants proof, and I intend to give it to her. Now, please!"

Maribelle's father gave him one last once over. "I suppose I have no choice. My daughter and her husband both have come to me in tears. I cannot just ignore their plea, no matter how foolish. I shall send word to her. Now off with you. Console her. Be gone."

"Thanks, Blondie," Gaius said with a wink as he rushed out.

"Foolish man...foolish girl...what a pair they make," he muttered with a rueful smile.

**This chapter was a bit to long, and was kinda all over the place,but I think it gets the job done. The story has become more light hearted than dramatic, huh?**


	4. Reunion

**Well, now we see how different Gaius truly is...or how much he truly loves his family.**

Gaiu sighed, shuffling his feet. Last time he was her, he was kicked flat on his rump, literally. But he was different now...he guessed. He took one last sigh, and knocked on the door.

As with last time, the one to open the door was Brady.

"Pa...?Pa!" The boy's eyes widened, and ssmile formed, as well as tears.

"Hey there, Sport, long time no see!"

"Pa!"

Brady jumped int his awaiting arms. "Pa...can you talk to Ma? All she does is cry, and make me practice violin...my fingers are gonna fall off."

Gaius laughed. "Sure thing. Here," he handed him a lollipop, his signature treat. His son smiled and scampered off.

His quietly walked in, his theiving and stealth skills not completely gone. He walked into the drawing room, and sure enough, found Maribelle, on her favoite sofa, crying. This is the last time she'll cry 'cause of me, he thought.

"Well, Twinkles...I thought crying was below a high-born lady like you."

She whipped around, eyes wide at the voice of her husband.

"Gaius!?"

"Did your Dad tell you? I've...we'll I've cleaned up. Confessed, done some time, paid people back, talked to your old man-"

He was interuppted when she neary leapt up and hugged him. "Oh Gaius! I thought I would never see you again!"

He patted hr on the back, reveling in the feeling if having her in his arms. "You can't be rid of my that easily. I was around when you didn't want me, no way I'd go when you do."

"You silly, silly man...still the most honest person I've met."

"And you're still the most beautiful person I've met."

She bat her eyes and leaned to kiss them, when the sound of a poorly played violin interuppted them. "Ma...I Pa back to stay?"

"Yes...'Pa'...is back for good."

"And I'm good now too... well..."

"Well what!?"

"I hope to steal one thing..."

"Gaiu-mmph!"

With that, he kissed her.•

**Get it? He stole a kiss. I realize this got really sillyat the end...oh well, I still like the idea, even if I intended it to be a bit more serious than it was.**


End file.
